I touched base with Rideau View member Brad Fritsch on Saturday evening just as he was getting ready to board a flight to Hawaii.

He earned his PGA Tour card for the 2016-17 wraparound season through his win and second on the Web.com Tour last year, but didn't have enough status to get into the field at the Sony Open so he was going to Hawaii to try and Monday qualify.

At most PGA Tour events there are four spots open to qualifiers on Monday of tournament week. Fritsch said it was his understanding there might be about 25 players trying to qualify, so he liked the odds.

This is Fritsch's third go at the PGA Tour. He played 24 events in 2013 (18 cuts made) and played another 18 events in 2014 (three top 10s). He's had some health issues the last couple of years (some back trouble and then a bout with gout last year), but after cutting out beef and beer, he thinks he's got the gout problem licked.

After taking some time to return to Ottawa to attend the ceremony for the retirement of the No. 11 sweater of former Ottawa Senator Daniel Alfredsson, Fritsch is ready to get to work.